How do you translate historical play into a modern, tactile experience
2026 | Museum
Asian Civilisations
Museum, Singapore
THE LOCAL MOTIVE
Social games have long been woven into everyday life across Asia—shaping community, culture, and shared traditions over generations. Evolving across regions and time, they remain a vital part of cultural memory.
When a Singaporean museum set out to create a limited-edition deck of poker cards inspired by objects from its exhibition, we saw an opportunity—to bring these diverse traditions together into a single, contemporary system of play, using the familiar format of cards to tell a deeper, connected story.
RESEARCH AND STRATEGY :
Museum Research, Local Walks, Visual Audit
DESIGN:
Concept, Creative Direction, System Building
ILLUSTRATION
PACKAGING
TESTIMONIAL
“The poker cards are designed as a giveaway
to complement the visitor experience. We’re glad they align well with the ‘Let’s Play’ themed exhibition at ACM, adding an interactive takeaway that enhances overall engagement and retail value. The LOCAL team was efficient with revisions, and the designs are detailed
and well executed.”
Min Jeat Lee
Assistant Account Manager
APE Works Pvt Ltd. Singapore
IMPACT
The poker cards were created as a takeaway to extend the “Let’s Play” exhibition at ACM. They offered visitors
a way to engage with the theme beyond the exhibition space, while also functioning as a retail product.
The deck was loved, particularly for its level of detailing and the attention given to each card.
DESIGN PROBLEM
These artifacts come from different regions, time periods, and cultural backgrounds each with its own visual style, symbolism, and meaning. The challenge was to bring all of these diverse elements together into one cohesive and contemporary playing card deck.
The deck was planned for launch during Chinese New Year, so the design needed to feel culturally relevant
and aligned with the spirit of the occasion celebration, prosperity, and visual richness without relying
on clichés.
RESEARCH
The design is rooted in the universal idea that games are not merely objects of competition, but powerful social rituals that bring people together.
At the heart of the design is the player’s hand interacting with game pieces a symbolic and visual anchor that represents participation, connection, and shared experience over centuries.
Complementing this central motif are patterns and visual elements derived from historical game pieces found within the museum collection unified by colours and simplified geometric patterns.
MUSEUM ARTIFACTS
The design draws inspiration from ancient game artifacts preserved in the museum collection, including traditional game pieces from various Asian countries.
To achieve a simplified deck system, we focused on simplifying and abstracting the core elements rather than directly copying decorative details.
By identifying common patterns and structures,
we created a unified illustration style using clean, geometric forms. This allowed different influences to come together seamlessly while maintaining clarity
and consistency.
INITIAL ROUGH SKETCHES
In the initial iteration, hands became the most important element of the design to connect all the pieces in a single composition bringing alive the idea of community games being social rituals that bring people together.
FINAL DESIGNS
The final designs present the refined outcome of the project, bringing together key visual decisions into
a cohesive poker card system. Rooted in inspirations from traditional games, the deck combines familiar motifs with a contemporary approach, resulting in
a unified and distinctive visual identity.
PACKAGING
The packaging extends the visual language of the deck into a cohesive and tactile form. Drawing from the same traditional inspirations, it complements the cards while enhancing the overall experience, resulting in
a thoughtful and engaging presentation.
BACK OF CARDS
The back of the cards is designed as a vibrant collage inspired by traditional games and cultural motifs.
It brings together elements of play, craft, and storytelling ranging from game pieces and boards to figures
and decorative patterns arranged in a balanced,
grid-like composition.
The use of bold colors and textured illustration creates a sense of nostalgia while maintaining visual richness, making the back feel both dynamic and rooted in
cultural familiarity.
SUITS
The suits are redesigned using motifs inspired by traditional games, replacing the usual symbols with more culturally familiar elements. Each one has its own look, while still being easy to recognise and use during play.
